Tummy Time For Newborns: What You Need To Know

Learn how to do tummy time with your baby from birth to two months old. Plus, a free printable Tummy Time Activity Tracker to make sure your newborn is getting enough tummy time!

Tummy time is the time your baby spends on their stomach while awake and supervised.

Lying on the stomach is also called the prone position.

Tummy time should be done from birth until a baby is starting to crawl.

The newborn period usually refers to a baby from birth to around two months old.

Keep in mind that tummy time during this period will look a lot different than it does with older babies.

Tummy time during the newborn period will look a lot different than when your baby is older.

Here are some tips to make the most out of tummy time with your newborn.

Looking for tummy time tips for older babies? Learn all about tummy time milestones for babies 3 to 6 months old.

DISCLAIMER: The information on the site is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on the site should be considered medical advice. Always consult your own or your child’s health care provider before acting on any information or recommendations. You can read my full Disclaimer Policy here.

Why Is Tummy Time Important for Newborns?

Studies have shown that tummy time is positively associated with the development of gross motor skills. Gross motor skills are activities that involve movements of the large muscles. This includes sitting, crawling, and walking.

Although all babies develop on different timelines, gross motor skills usually develop in a predictable way. Babies typically acquire gross motor skills from head to toe and from the center of the body to the outside of the body.

For example, first, babies will need to strengthen their neck and upper back muscles and develop the ability to lift their heads. Then they can begin working on strengthening the muscles in their arms to bear weight on the arms and push up off the floor.

Tummy time is important because it helps babies develop the strength they need in their neck, shoulder, back, and core muscles.

What Are The Other Benefits of Tummy Time?

We know tummy time is important for the acquisition of motor skills but it can also help in other areas of your baby’s development.

Helps with Bonding

Tummy time offers a lot of opportunities for you to interact with your baby. This can be done by placing your face near his as he lies on the floor or by gently calling his name or shaking a rattle to get his attention.

This face-to-face time and back and forth interaction can help you bond with your baby in a fun, playful way.

Helps Prevent Flathead

Babies can develop a flattening of their skulls, often known as flat head or flathead syndrome. This is a change in the shape of a baby’s head from spending more time in one position (such as on his back).

The risk is greatest during the first 3 to 4 months of life until the baby develops head control.

Spending time on his tummy keeps pressure off your baby’s head and can help prevent flattening of the head.

Read Next: 5 Tips to Prevent Flathead in Babies

Allows Baby to Gain Different Sensory Experiences

Tummy time helps your baby have different sensory experiences. These include:

• tactile – feeling different textures
• proprioception – body awareness
• vestibular – sense of balance

Helps with Vision Development

During tummy time, your baby will learn to move his head to look at and track objects. As he gets older, reaching for toys while lying on his tummy will help with hand-eye coordination.

Read Next: What Can My Newborn See?

How Much Tummy Time Should My Newborn Have?

The recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is for your baby to work their way up to one hour of tummy time every day.

The hour of tummy time can be broken up into smaller sessions several times a day.

In the beginning, start by putting your newborn on their belly for 30 seconds to a minute and see how they tolerate this position. Increase the length of time your baby spends on their belly each day.

Aim for about an hour a day of tummy time by the time your baby is three months old.

What Should Tummy Time Look Like With a Newborn?

During the newborn period, it may seem like not much is happening during tummy time.

That’s okay!

You will start to see small changes in your newborn’s motor development as they get a little older and stronger.

Most babies can start doing tummy time soon after birth but check with your baby’s pediatrician first. You will want to be extra cautious until your baby’s belly button is fully healed.

Alternative Tummy Time Positions for Newborns

When your baby is a newborn, you may want to start tummy time using alternative positions instead of the traditional lying with stomach-on-the-floor.

Some positions that you naturally hold your baby in are great for helping to improve head and neck control.

You’ve probably been practicing tummy time with your newborn without even realizing it.

Tummy to tummy (or tummy to chest)

You can lie down flat or recline with pillows under your back. Place your newborn on your stomach or chest with his head towards you so you are face-to-face. Keep a firm hand on your baby for safety.

Lap time

Place baby on their belly over your lap. Many infants can tolerate this position better than lying on the floor in the beginning.

For extra support, sit in a chair with a stool under one foot so that one leg is higher than the other. Place your baby across your legs with their head over the higher leg. This can take some pressure off the chest and belly for newborns who do not like being on their stomachs.

You might also like: Cute Easter Basket Ideas for Baby’s First Easter

Tummy Time Milestones for Newborns

After Birth

The first thing your baby needs to learn to do during tummy time is clear their airway by turning their head to expose their mouth and nose for breathing.

Two Weeks

By two weeks, your baby should be able to turn their head slightly to one side while lying on their stomach so that the nose and mouth are off the floor. They also might attempt to lift and turn their head already.

One Month

At one month, your baby should be turning their head to both sides on the floor. They should start attempting to lift and hold their head up for at least a few seconds. To help facilitate lifting the head, you can move their elbows closer to the body to give them more support.

Two Months

By two months, you may see your baby starting to tilt their head to one side while lying on the stomach. Make sure your baby is turning their head to both sides while doing tummy time. This will ensure that the neck muscles are developing equally.

If you have any concerns about your baby’s motor development, talk to your pediatrician. It may also be helpful to contact your local early intervention program.

Read Next: How Can Early Intervention Help My Child?

After two months, the majority of tummy time should be done on the floor although you can still use alternate positions. The goal is to have your baby doing tummy time “independently” so they can explore and play freely (with supervision)!

This is a great video from Pathways.org that shows examples of tummy time activities for two-month-olds.

After Two Months

By three months, your baby will be gaining more head control and starting to bear weight on their arms.

Eventually, they will be able to lift and turn their head more freely, start to lift their chest off the ground, and begin to reach for toys with their arms.

At this point, your baby will be interacting much more with his environment, and tummy time will become more playful.

Want to learn more? Find out what milestones to look for during tummy time for 3 to 6 month olds.

What If My Baby Hates Tummy Time?

Some babies seem resistant to lying on their bellies and may cry when they are put down in that position.

If your baby is frustrated or upset being on their stomach, don’t force tummy time. Pick him up and try again later in the day.

Don’t give up either! Keep trying to help your baby get used to the position.

At first, when they’re unable to lift their heads up and look around, babies can’t see much during tummy time except the floor. It may be helpful to reassure your baby that you’re there. You can keep your face close to his, talk to him, and soothe him. 

In the first few weeks, it may be easier to use alternate positions for tummy time than the standard on-the-stomach on-the-floor position as mentioned above. You can try tummy-to-tummy or tummy-to-chest position or lying baby down over your lap.

When your baby has developed a little more head control and can move their head to the side while lying on the floor, they may be more tolerant of being in that position.

Check out these awesome DIY tummy time toys that can help your baby enjoy lying on their stomach.

Tips for Successful Tummy Time with a Newborn

1. Make tummy time part of your daily routine

During the first several weeks of a newborn’s life, it seems like all they do is eat, sleep and poop. It may be difficult to figure out when you can find time for tummy time.

The good news is, you don’t have to change anything about your baby’s schedule. Make tummy time part of the routine you already have.

After Changing Baby’s Diaper

As an early intervention therapist, this was one of my favorite tips for families struggling to fit in more tummy time for their babies.

Think about how often you change your newborn’s diaper!

After each diaper change, simply roll your baby over to his belly for a minute or two. This is such a great way to fit in tummy time throughout the day.

After Feeding

Some babies who are prone to spitting up may not tolerate being on their bellies right after eating.

However, you can still do tummy time after a feed by lying your baby over your lap. This is a common position for burping a newborn. After burping, just let your baby stay in that position for a few minutes longer to get in some extra tummy time.

2. Make lying on his belly fun for your newborn

Here are some simple ways to make tummy time a little more fun for your newborn.

• Get on the floor with your baby so you are face to face.

• Sing a song to him or read a story. 

• Lie your baby on a blanket or towel with different textures so he can experience how different things feel.

• Introduce toys to your baby. Great toys for the newborn age are rattles and soft toys with high contrasting colors or patterns.

Read Next: The Best Tummy Time Toys for Babies

3. Do tummy time in different locations

Change the spots where you do tummy time to give your baby a variety of different sensory and visual experiences.

Put your baby on their stomach on a playmat in the living room or on a blanket on the rug in his bedroom.

I also frequently use our Pack n Play for tummy time. This is helpful when my toddler is being a little too rambunctious and I don’t want to put the baby on the floor.

4. Use a rolled-up blanket under your baby’s chest

For babies who are resistant to tummy time, try this trick. Place a rolled-up receiving blanket or towel under their chest with their arms over the roll. Their forearms should rest on the ground (see picture below).

This can help provide some extra support and may allow your baby to feel more comfortable. It can also give a little extra assistance in encouraging him to try to lift up his head.

5. Talk to your baby during tummy time

It’s never too early to start encouraging communication skills for babies. Talking to you baby is the best way to help them learn to talk.

• Talk about what you are doing – “You are lying on your belly. You’re getting so strong!”
• Talk about their toys – “This is a rattle. Shake, shake, shake.”
• Talk about what’s going on in the environment – “It’s sunny out today. Can you hear the birds chirping outside?”
• Talk about the sensations they might be feeling – “Can you feel this blanket? It’s very soft.”

This is a great time to bond with baby and encourage language development while you are working on their motor skills.

Read Next: Toys to Help Toddler’s Language Development

Final thoughts on how to do tummy with your newborn

• Research shows that tummy time helps babies achieve motor milestones
• Tummy time can also help with parent-infant bonding, vision development, and sensory milestones
• Start with a few minutes of tummy time a few times a day and gradually increase to an hour a day divided into small sessions.
• Try tummy to tummy or over the lap during the first few weeks to get your newborn used to being on their stomachs
• Make tummy time part of your daily routine by rolling baby over for a few minutes of tummy time after changing his diaper
• Place a thin rolled blanket under baby’s chest for extra support during tummy time.
• When ready to put baby on the floor, use different textured blankets, spend time in different rooms, sing songs, read stories, talk about what’s going on, and introduce toys with high contrast colors that make noise.

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I hope these tips can help you make the most out of tummy time with your newborn.

If you found any of this advice helpful, let me know in the comments below and spread the love by sharing this post!

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